Keep logos small and centred
A logo belongs in the central area, not over the three finder patterns in the corners. Leave enough clear space around it and test the finished code.
QR codes include spare information that can help a phone read the code when a small part is damaged or covered. It is useful, but it is not a licence to make the code difficult to scan.
A QR code contains redundant data alongside its main content. If a small part of the pattern is damaged, dirty, or carefully covered by a logo, a scanner may still be able to reconstruct the missing information. This is called error correction.
It does not fix a broken destination, make a low-contrast code visible, or compensate for a missing quiet zone. It only helps the scanner recover from limited damage to the pattern itself.
| Level | What it means | When it is useful |
|---|---|---|
| L | Lower redundancy, simpler pattern | Clean, high-quality codes where space matters and there is no logo. |
| M | Balanced redundancy | A sensible general-purpose choice for many standard QR codes. |
| Q | Higher redundancy | Codes that may face modest wear or a small, carefully tested logo. |
| H | Highest redundancy | A code with more damage risk or a logo, only after testing the final design. |
The trade-off is simple: more recovery data means a more complex pattern. If you put a long URL, a large amount of text, or detailed contact information into the code, higher error correction can make the individual modules smaller and harder to scan at a given physical size.
That is why there is no universally best level. The right choice depends on how much content the code holds, how large it will print, whether it has a logo, and where people will scan it.
A logo belongs in the central area, not over the three finder patterns in the corners. Leave enough clear space around it and test the finished code.
Frames, labels, stickers, folds, and decorative overlays can damage the pattern just as easily as a logo can.
A concise URL produces a simpler, more forgiving pattern than a long URL with unnecessary parameters or a large block of text.
Changing colour, logo size, export format, or print material can change scan reliability. The final proof is the only test that matters.
These issues need a design or production fix, not a higher setting.